Otherworld Dagashi Shop Yahagi-Chapter 21: Communication with Cocoa Cigarettes

After lunchtime passed, the customers stopped coming in.

Merle and Mira are the only ones in the shop, and they are working hard on the 10-rim game.

Both Merle and Mira have tried more than 20 times, but they have yet to get the Elixir.

I pull out a chair in the storefront and open the lunch box Minerva made for me.

[Ohh……]

It was packed tightly with grilled, a riddle terrine, pickled vegetables, homemade bread, and a small banana cake.

Thereupon, Merle looked at me, seemingly astounded.

[You got anything you wanna say?]

I asked Merle.

[No, I was just thinking. That’s quite the bento you got from your beloved wife.]

[Beloved wife, his name sounds like a woman, but Minerva’s a man. He’s just a friend.]

[You think so? It doesn’t look that way to me……]

Today, Merle sounded as if the words were stuck in her throat.

[Then, what does it look like to you, Merle?]

[You don’t look like “just friends”.]

[Same here.]

[Ah, you also agree with her, Mira?]

[Unnn, I think you’d be best friends.]

[That’s not what I meant!]

Looking irritated, Merle’s shoulders raised.

[I don’t mean that! What I meant is that Minerva-san definitely likes Yuusuke-san!]

[……No, there’s no way, right?]

[Yes way! Even Yuusuke-san should also be aware of it by now, right?]

Yeah, I certainly had slightly felt that was the case, but I couldn’t be sure.

[Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such a splendid box for you.]

I suddenly felt like this lunch box was getting heavier.

This love feels heavy……

[You think so?]

[You can tell just by looking at him. If I or Mira get even the slightest bit friendly with Yuusuke-san, he gets all cranky.]

He certainly thinks they’re slutty brats…… 𝑏𝑒𝘥𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝑛𝘦𝑡

[What are you gonna do?]

[With what?]

[Of course, I’m talking about Minerva-san.]

I don’t really care if a guy likes another guy.

However, if I were to be asked if I could see a guy as a lover, then I don’t think that would be possible.

I’ll only get sexually aroused when I’m with a woman.

A gay friend once told me that if one can masturbate by imagining a man, it suggests that they have gay tendencies.

I’ve never tried it before, but I don’t really think my body would respond……

[But you see, it’s not like he confessed or anything. I mean, we don’t even know what Minerva really thinks, right? It’s not good to jump to conclusions.]

[The way I see it, it seems like you’re just delaying the issue.]

Merle’s 10-rim copper coin fell into a hole and it’s a game over.

[Now then, we’d better get going. We need to make some more money.]

[Right. It’s about time we go.]

Merle and Mira went back to work.

Meanwhile, I absentmindedly thought about Minerva.

I think he’s a good guy.

After all, he is kind to me.

Come to think of it, he does seem to be slightly misogynistic……

Even when we looked at Witch Michelle’s wanted poster, she didn’t react to those big breasts at all.

Even though Merle said something like that, I really think I should just go with the flow.

It’s a waste of time to fret about this and that while the person in question isn’t here.

As he was apparently going to the deepest part of the dungeon, Minerva also said that he wouldn’t be back for three days.

Let’s just put this matter off.

Meanwhile, a group of adventurers returned.

It was Garm and his group, regulars of my shop.

[Yuusuke-san, give us Morocco Yoguls.]

[Here, that’s 80 rims. Are you hurt?]

[Yeah, it’s nothing serious, but this guy over here blundered.]

Garm lightly poked one of his comrades, a young boy, in the head.

[That can’t be helped, right? I couldn’t hold back the sneeze.]

[We were hunting Rogue Methan, and we’re not supposed to make a sound because it’ll make them run away.]

Rogue Methans are gaseous monsters that are easy to kill, but drops a lot of money.

[But you know, it’s tough when you have to be so quiet that you can’t even give orders.]

[Yeah, with our weapons in hand, it’s also hard to give hand signs.]

[In that case, how about you buy these?]

I recommended one of the products in the shop.

Product name: Cocoa Cigarettes

Description: Sugar candies in the shape of cigarettes. When one solemnly thinks with one in their mouth, it allows communication with people within a 10-meter radius. However, both parties must be holding cocoa cigarettes in their mouth.

Price: 30 rims (6 pieces)

When I was a kid, me and my friends used to pretend to smoke with this in our mouths.

I guess it was fun to imitate adults.

Meanwhile, the cocoa cigarettes of this world seemed to be acting as soundless walkie-talkies.

They also come in a variety of flavors, as in addition to cocoa, there are also orange, blueberry, and cola flavors.

[We’ll buy one and give it a try.]

Garm and his group began experimenting with communication with a cocoa cigarette in their mouths.

[Amazing, I can really hear your voices in my head!]

[Oi! Who the heck is repeatedly spamming dick?]

[Fuhahahaha, stop with those jokes!]

[Repeatedly spamming poop is also banned!]

[Guhahahaha, you’re all idiots!]

Hmmm, seems like no matter whether it’s in Japan or in this world, there would be lots of idiots among boys……

However, if they use it seriously, wouldn’t it be an indispensable item for conquering a dungeon?

With that thing only costing 30 rims, any rookie team should be able to avail them easily.

Let’s market this thing on a larger scale.

Translator’s Notes:

ココアシガー / Cocoa Cigars. Renamed to Cocoa Cigarettes based on its source item.